CONTEXT: Treatment in an ICU can be stressful and traumatic for patients, and can lead to various physical, psychological and cognitive sequelae. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of the social, economic and working status of individuals in regard to long-term anxiety and depression among ICU convalescents. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional, 5-year survey between 2005 and 2009. SETTING: The general ICUs of two hospitals in Lublin (Poland): the Teaching Hospital, Medical University of Lublin and the District Hospital. PATIENTS: All adults surviving an ICU stay of more than 24?h were eligible. In December 2010, 533 questionnaires were sent to discharged ICU survivors, and 195 (36.59%) were returned. One hundred and eighty-six patients were enrolled in the study. Patients with brain injuries were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The questionnaire consisted of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); questions defining social, economic and working status before and after intensive care stay, health status before intensive care stay, as well as questions about memories and readmissions to intensive care were included. RESULTS: According to HADS, 34.4% patients had an anxiety disorder and 27.4% were depressed. There was a strong positive correlation between anxiety and depression (r?=?+0.726, P?0.001). Better material and housing conditions correlated with lower anxiety and depression rates. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores on admission positively correlated with both anxiety (r?=?+0.187; P?=?0.011) and depression (r?=?+0.239; P?=?0.001). A negative correlation between health status before intensive care admission and HADS scores was observed (anxiety rs?=?-0.193; P?=?0.008; depression rs?=?-0.227; P?=?0.002); better health resulted in lesser anxiety and depression disorders. CONCLUSION: Adverse social and economic status is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression following ICU stay.
HubMed – depression

Perception of patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid depression about the usefulness of supportive text messages.

Very little is known about the perception of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid depression about the usefulness of supportive text messages.To examine the perception of patients with AUD and comorbid depression about the usefulness of supportive text messages.Participants (n=26) with a DSM IV diagnosis of AUD and depression and completing an in-patient dual diagnosis treatment programme had twice daily supportive text messages delivered to their mobile phones for three months as part of a randomised trial. Participants were contacted at the end of the third month to obtain their views regarding the usefulness of the supportive text messages using a semi-structured questionnaire.Overall, 24 out of 26 patients were contactable for feedback (92% response rate). Eighteen (75%) patients reported that the text messages always or often reminded them to remain abstinent from alcohol. Again, 20 (83%) patients reported that the intervention had played a useful role in helping to improve their mental health, in particular, in serving as a motivation for recovery and in preventing relapse.Patients with AUD and depression perceive that supportive text messages help them to remain abstinent from alcohol and also improve upon their mental wellbeing.HubMed – depression

Depression and treatmentThis is because you will never come to know if you do not remain patient and attentive. The depressed person will never ask for he…